@kindaspongey said in #48:
> Did MdlM ever play Kasparov?
Was this sarcasm? Hard to tell in net. With 2050 rating you dont get to play 2800 players. In particular as Kasparov mostly played invitationals. Not even in simuls as typically there is upper limit in rating for simuls.
All the experts caution beginners against too much opening theory, but nobody cautions them against too much tactics.
@Firegoat7 said in #47:
> And then at his peak after writing a book on the Najdorf he gets smashed off the board in the same opening by Kasparov. Hmmm let us think about that empirical evidence!?
He is one of those theorist who fails at practical. Nevertheless, one can't become a chess theorist without reading him.
"... Nunn achieved his highest Elo rating of 2630 in January 1995. Six years earlier, in January 1989, his then rating of 2620 was high enough to elevate him into the world's top ten, where he shared ninth place. ..."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Nunntwo last ideas this [interesting] discussion brings to my mind;
1. Survivor bias:
Every world open *someone* wins the under 2000 section. Likely each had a different study practice and could have written a book promising similar great results by hopping on their left foot while moving the pieces [or whatever they were doing]. I am ashamed to admit that after reading the claims in Adelle Davis' nutrition book, expressed there with great certainty, in the mid 70's one day I ate 1/2 pound of raw liver for breakfast before a tournament. Humans find [possibly crazy] ideas expressed with great certainty strangely compelling.
2. ratings are relative to the pool of players:
In the 1970's, relative to players then, I was very good at tactics and very bad at endings. In such a pool tactics may well have been the golden road to chess rating increase. Since returning 2 years ago I find, relative to players today who spend lots of time playing blitz & puzzle rush on the internet, I find I am very good at endings and average at tactics [similar to a player 200 points below me in our club here]. This change in the rating pool must also be partly due to people reading his book and doing lots of tactics. [The change in my play is likely due to being 50 years older and not playing chess for 45 years.] Today the 'golden road' may well be studying how to win equal endings and how to skip from opening to ending.
-again.... interesting discussion! -Bill
